Weeks placed on disabled list in advance of MRI

By Adam McCalvy / MLB.com

SAN FRANCISCO -- The Brewers placed second baseman Rickie Weeks on the 15-day disabled list Thursday after sending him back to Milwaukee for an MRI scan of what appears to be a seriously strained left hamstring.

Weeks, injured while running to first base in the eighth inning on Wednesday night, was to be examined by Brewers head physician William Raasch. The early word from the athletic training staff was not promising, according to manager Ron Roenicke.

"He pulled it pretty good," Roenicke said.

Said Weeks: "It's sore. I have no expectations."

Jeff Bianchi was at second base for Thursday's afternoon series finale at AT&T Park while Brewers officials debated potential roster moves. After a 4-1 loss to the Giants, they recalled second baseman Scooter Gennett from Triple-A Nashville.

Gennett was just optioned to Triple-A Nashville on Tuesday. Players have to spend 10 days in the Minors before they are eligible to return, except if they directly replace a disabled teammate.

"We needed a second baseman, somebody who could go out there and play every day," Roenicke said. "Not just that -- if we don't bring up Scooter, you've got an infield that you can't do anything with. Like today, we couldn't do anything, couldn't pinch-hit for any of them, because there were no other options."

Weeks became the fourth Brewer in the past 2 1/2 months to hit the DL with a hamstring injury. Closer Jim Henderson (right hamstring) was sidelined in late May and early June, starter Marco Estrada (left hamstring) returned Wednesday from a two-month absence, and another starter, Yovani Gallardo (left hamstring), is currently on the DL. Wily Peralta also exited a game in Washington last month with a strained left hamstring, but was able to make his subsequent start after a few extra days of rest.

The spate of hamstring issues has puzzled a Brewers athletic training staff that prioritizes injury prevention and has been honored in recent years for those efforts.

"All injuries are a concern with them, but the same ones, especially being a muscle, that's what they're concerned about," Roenicke said. "Some things -- a guy runs into a wall and breaks his hand, or he gets hit by a foul ball and breaks a hand -- you can't do anything about those. But hamstrings, quads, obliques, those are the things you hope with training that you can limit those. You're going to have some of those, but we've had a lot."

Gennett, a 23-year-old left-handed hitter, was 3-for-10 in his most recent stint in the Majors and is batting .231 in 22 games with the Brewers this season.

Ramirez ready to return, but it's not so simple

SAN FRANCISCO -- Brewers cleanup hitter Aramis Ramirez is physically ready to return from the disabled list to serve as the team's designated hitter on Friday night in Seattle, but the team's other injury issues appear to have pushed back that plan.

The Brewers on Thursday afternoon recalled second baseman Scooter Gennett from Triple-A Nashville to replace Rickie Weeks, who was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left hamstring. For the moment, it was the team's only roster move.

"We'll see," manager Ron Roenicke said when asked about Ramirez. "I'm not saying he's going to miss [the entire Seattle series], but right now we're not activating him tomorrow."

The good news on Ramirez, Roenicke said earlier in the day, was that "he's doing good. He ran the bases early yesterday, his [batting practice] was good. He feels like he's ready to go. Whether that's [Friday], whether that's Tuesday [in Texas], whether that's Saturday or Sunday, I don't know. But he's ready to go."

The Brewers have missed Ramirez's production all season because of a sprained left knee originally suffered in Spring Training. He returned to action after two weeks, but hurt the knee again in the Brewers' fifth regular-season game and was placed on the disabled list for the first time.

After batting .271 and slugging .414 (his lowest since 2002) in 54 games, Ramirez returned to the DL before the All-Star break.

The original plan was to have Ramirez serve as the DH for Friday's Interleague series opener before starting at first base on Saturday.

"I'm good to go," Ramirez said. "We don't have much time left, and I want to play before I go home. Hopefully we finish strong. [It is important] to every player. You don't want to go home hurt or think that you're hurt. You want to leave with some positives, at least playing, then rehab in the offseason and prepare for Spring Training."

He said he plans to spend the offseason "working my lower half better than I used to. I have to get my knee really healthy for next year."

Last call

• The Brewers have penciled in Tom Gorzelanny to start Saturday's game in Seattle in the spot that had been occupied by Tyler Thornburg. Gorzelanny's outing was pushed back three days because he was struck on the left elbow by a line drive in his last start, but he threw a successful bullpen session in San Francisco and was deemed fit to pitch.

Thornburg's status was up in the air as of Thursday morning because of the Brewers' pending roster moves.

• The Brewers' longest-tenured employee celebrated a birthday on Thursday. Barb Stark was in the County Stadium stands for one of the Brewers' first games in 1970 with some girlfriends, one of whom nominated Stark to call the team to ask for a job. She began as a secretary in the Minor League/scouting department, and 43 years later is the team's senior administrator-baseball operations, handling contracts and other administrative matters for general manager Doug Melvin and assistant GM Gord Ash.

"I came in for an interview, and I'm still here," Stark said via telephone from Miller Park, where she was on the job Thursday.

• CBSSports.com's Danny Knobler reported that the Brewers placed right-hander Kyle Lohse on revocable waivers Wednesday, a common practice by teams in August to gauge interest in players. If a team makes a claim before Lohse's waiver period expires Friday, the Brewers could either pull Lohse back, or use a 48-hour window to negotiate a trade with the claiming team. The fact he was placed on waivers does not necessarily indicate a desire by the Brewers to trade the right-hander, who starts Friday night in Seattle.

Adam McCalvy is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Brew Beat, and follow him on Twitter at @AdamMcCalvy. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.